Recharging-valve for air-brakes.



PATENTED MAR. 19, 1907. F.L.GLARK. RBGHARGING VALVE 'EUR AIR BRAKES.

APPLIOATION FILED OCT. 18. 1902.

2 SHEETS-SHEET' 1. Wg.

AIR-847,317 R y v PATRNTRD MAR. 19,1190?1 E'. L. CLARK. RRGHARGINGVALVR'FOR AIR BRAKES.

APPLICATION FILED 00T. 18. 1902.

` 2 SHEETS-BEEBT 2.

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FRANCIS L. CLARK, OF PITTSBURG, YPENNSYLVANIA,u ASSIGN-OR TO THEWESTINGHOUSE AIR .BRAKE COMPANY, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVA- NIA,-ACORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA. f

RECHARGlNG-VAL'VE FOR AIMPRH'BRKES..

Application filed October 18, 1

To a/ZZ whom/.Ilt'ma/y concern: y. Be itknown that I, FRANoIs L. CLARK,a citizen `of the United States, residing in Pittsburg, county ofAllegheny, State of Pennsylvania, have invented a certain new and usefulImprovement in 'Recharging- Valves Jfor AirfBrakes, of which improvementthe following is a speciiication.

My invention relates to automatic airbrakes, and has `for its object toprovide a new and improved recharging-valvel device adapted to beinserted betweenthe train- Vpipe and auxiliary reservoir and by means ofwhich the auxiliary reservoir may be recharged to any desired degreeduring the time that the brakes are applied and Without releasing thesame.

It has heretofore been proposed toprovide a separate recharging-passagecontaining a check-valve between the train-pipe and au'X- iliaryreservoir but it is found that while such valves may be opened torecharge the auxiliary reservoirs upon a slow and gradual increase oftrain-pipe pressure they are also opened still wider upon a sudden andgreater increase of train-pipe pressure which is made for the purpose ofreleasing thevbrakes, thus opening a large passage around thetriplevalvc piston and detracting from thesensitiveness of the triplevalves, whereby a much greater Wave of pressure is required from themain reservoir through the train-pipe to release the'triple valvesthanwould otherwise be necessary. It also sometimes happens that withsuch aA construction that after 'a f certainamount of recharging thepressures in auxiliary reservoirs, train-pipe, and main reservoir becomeso nearly equalized that it of accidents'. y 1 My invent'io esigiied tooverooi inpri'ses a new proved rechargin lve device ad A f be actuatedfb' Vw:slight or gradual iiifcreasegof '5o Ltrain-pipepr reto opencommunications,

from the trainpipe'to theauxilia'ry rrservoir'v and actuated by a suddenand greater increase Specicaton of Letters Patent.

ing the two chambers ,l2 and 413,the former being in conimunicati 'Yjthrougli passa Y, Q tion and pipef 'Tf municating through pipe"r tedtoJ i i 'ends of the pliigl'll 5'1"' Patented IVI-arch 19, 1907.

902. Serial No. 127,316.

6o further movement in the same direction to 4 close said-valve; and itfurther consists in certain new combinations and novel features ofconstruction, all as hereinafter more fully set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a plan view of an automaticair-brake apparatus, showingl my [improvement applied thereto. Fig. 2fatransverse central section showing one rform' ofmyimproved recharging-valve device'. Fig. 3 is .a section showing' a modiiied form ofvalve, and Fig.V 4 is a section showing another modification.

Referring to Sheet 1 of the drawings, Fig. l shows the train-pipe 1,branch pipe 2, triple-valve device 3, auxiliary reservoir 4, andbrake-cylinder 5, all of which constitutes the ordinary car equipment ofthe automatic air-brake system. l 1 My improved recharging-valve deviceA6 is inserted between'ltheA 'train [or branch `pipe and the auxiliary`y'servo'ir and isi connected therleto. by ineans'if' pipes 7 and 8,respec? tive l. L

According to the preferred yform ofrecharging-valve, as shown yin' Fig,'2, 'the cas ing is composed of two parts-fthe body p0rtion 9 and capportion l-thediaphragm l l being clamped between these 'parts and orm-A, n p roo ed inthe opp'osi extend into*v t ing beveled to forni vtWeenthe valve-seats 17 and 18 in the plugseats 17 and 18 in said plug15. The stems are so adjusted that the distance between their ends is alittle greater than that be- 15, and a light spring 23 'is placed so asto bear against one side of the diaphragm and normally tends t'o seattheplug at 17 against the valve-stem 21, as shown in Fig. 2.

The operation of this form of my improvenient is as follows: When thebrakes are re-` leased and the train-pipe is charged up to its normalpressure, the -auxiliary reservoir is also charged up to the samepressure through v vthe usual feed-groove of the triple-valve device, asis Well understood by tho'se familiar with the art, and the pressures onopposite sides ofthe diaphragm 11 being substantially A equal .thespring 23 holds the seat 17 lightly a ainst the valve 21, as shown in`Fig. 2i hen a reduction of train-pipe pressure .is madefor the purposeof applying the brakes,

, the valve at 17 still remains closed, since the pressure is then lessin chamber 12- than in chamber 13 on the reservoir side ,of thediah'ragm., It now it is'desired to recharge the `auxiliary reservoirsWithout releasing the brakes, the train-pipe pressure is very slowly andgradually increased, the effect being to causea slight movement of thediaphragm against the spring, sufficient to open the valve at seat 17,but not enough to close seat 418 on A'valve 20. and the valve device soadjusted that a slight accumulation of pressure'on the train-pipe sideof the diaphragm will cause the saine to slightly compressA said springand move to mid-position before such-increase of pressure 1sv sufficientto move th'e triple valve to rei lease position. 4Q

Both valve-seats 17 and 18 are then open and the communicating passageis of proper size to allow for the gradual flpw of air under pressure.Jfrom the trainpipe through'openings 19,A 16, 4and 20"'t0 the auxiliaryreservoir at substantially the same ratethat the train-pipe pressure isbe- .f

ing increased, so .that at no time during such recharging Will thetrain-pipe pressure on the"` triple-valve piston accumulate sulicietly'above that ofthe auxiliary reservoir to cause after a 'certain amountof recharging has 1 been eHected, all that is necessary isA to prothetriple valve tomoveto 'release position. Should it be desiredto Areleasethe brakes at any time during this recharging loperation or duce asudden rise in train-pipe lpressure by moving the engineers brake-va veto position for releasing. 'This wave of ressure y -immediately closescommunication rom the the spring 23 and seating the diaphragmsplugtrain-pipe tp the lauxiliary reservoirV through 'the recharging-valvedevice by compressing valve-seat-IS upon the valve-stem 22, so that thepressure on the triple-valve piston immediately' rises suficientl vtomove the samel to4 release position an release the air from The spring 23 is very light the brakeeylinder in the usual Way. The yauxiiiaryreservoirs may then' be recharged through the feed-groove ofthe triple valve, and as the pressures in train-pipe and auxiliaryreservoir equalize thcdi apliragm'recharging-valve is returned by thespring to the po'- sitien shown in l-` ig, 2. This operation ofrecharging maj." be repeated as often as desired While the brakes remainapplied to compensate for losses due to leakage; but at the saine timethe brakes may be instantly released at any desired moment, since therecharging' lvalve is closed by a sudden increase of trainpipe pressure,and lthus the sensitiveness of the triple valve is not affected,

It Will be observed .that my improved re. charging-valve device isadapted'to close to prevent passage of air from the auxiliary reservoirto the train-pipe, to open upon a sloW and gradual rise of train-pipepressure to permit gradual recharging of the auxiliary reservoir, andvto, close communication from the train-pipe'to the auxiliary reservoirupon a sudden increase of train-pipe pressure.

Various forms of valves may bedevised for securing this result, and inFi s. 3 ande' I have illustrated tWo such mo ifications. In Fig. 3 the'valve-casing is formed in two parts 25 ,and 26,- having diaphragm 27clamped therein, the diaphragm carrying stiiening-plates 28 and 29,'secured to op.- posite sides of itscentral portion,- and stem 30 foroperating slide-valve 31 having port 32, which is adapted' to niove overort 33 in the casing. A checkvalve 34 is coated in ythe passa e 35,connecting port 33 `with the pipe 8, eading tothe auxiliary reservoir.The chamber' above the diaphragm is in o en eommiinic'atienv withthe'slidevalve cliamber and with the pipe 7, leading from thetrain-pipe, While the vchamber below the diaphragm, containing the'spring 39, communicates with the auxiliary reservoir through passage 36..l v j' When thepressures in the train-pipe and auxiliary reservoir aresubstantially equal,

the s ring. 39 holds the valve in its upper close position and the plate29 a ainst the stops 38 on the casing, as'shoWii in., ig.` 3.

Upona-reduction in train-pipe pressure the.

iofo

IIO

valve remains in the usual position; but,iif it i be4 desired' torecharge', the reservoirs'withoutreleasingthe brakes thetrain-pipepressurev is increased' very adually, as before described,`causing the iaphragm .to move down to. midefposition, thus openingports 32 and 3'3 and eedingthe auxiliary reservoir upon .the stops 37through the valve 31.

raising the slide-valve from its seat when the tram-pipe pressure isreduced;

According to the modification shown in Flg.. 4 a piston 41 is located ina cylindrical casing 40 and is provided withy a stem 42, carryingoppositely-faced valves 43 and 44, adapte to alternately engage therespective valve-seats 45 and 46.l The chamber beneath the pliitoncommunicates with the train-pipe t -ough passage 50, containingcheck-valve 51, and the chamber above the piston containing the spring47 is in open communication with the auxiliary reservoir f throughpassage 48 and pipe 8. A passage 49 also leads from the valvel to the'auxiliary reservoir.

The spring 47 normally maintains the pisv i'ton in its lower positionwith valve 42 closed on lts seat 45. When train-pipfpressure is`gradually increased for. the purpose of re- .-`charg`ing auxiliaryreservoirs- Without releasing the brakes,-.the check-valve 51 is slighty lopened and the .piston 41 moved up toits mtermediateposition, inwhich both g5- fvalves 42 and 43 will-be ofi their respective seats `andthe auxiliary reservoir Will be recharged through` rpassage 52' betweenthe valve-seats 45- and'46, passage 49, and pipe 8.

A`- sudden rise in trainpipe pressure .for releasingthe brakes causesthe piston 41 to e move to its up ermostposition against thefv'sgringli? and c ose's valve 44 upon its seat 46,

ffy. resrvoir around piston. 41 to thetrain-pise. e..

us -closing 'communication'from the train- `pipe to the auxiliarreservoir.l Checkvalve 51= lprevents anyl leakage `llromthe auxiliaryvVar-iousother modifications may be .I vised embodying the' essentialfeatures of my 713m rovement.

49 'f glclaim as new,

. ters-Patent, isf-V avg now described-my invention, what y and desireto secure by Let- Ajrecharging 2valve device for airbralkes, ornpri'singa movable abutment exptosedlo'n one side to train-pipe `ressureand onvitsopposite side to avariab e fluid-pres- I sure,`m'eans actuated by aslight movement of the abutment caused bya-slow and gradual increase oftrainfpipe'pressure to 'o en com-A munication from .the -traii-pipe'to te auxil-f iary reservoir, and means actuated bya fur- "ther-movement otheabutment in the same direction to 'close lsaid communication.

.. 2..A rechargingvalve device `for air' brakes comprising a movableabutment .exi posed on one side totrain-pir pressureand on` its oppositev side to au1n 'ary-reservoir druyliand.`

pressure, and means vactuated by a slight moveme t ofthe abutment toopen communication om'4 train-pipe to auxiliary reservoir, and by afurther movement in the same direction to close such communication.

3. A recharging--valve` device for air-` brakes, comprising a valve forcontrolling 'communication from the train-pipe'to the auxiliaryreservoir, and a movab e abutment subject to theopposing pressures fromthe train-pipe and auxiliary reservoir for operating saidvalve.

4. A recharging-valve device for airbrakes, lcomprising a valve forcontrolling communication from the train-'pipe to the auxiliaryreservoir, a movable abutment exposed on opposite sides to train-pipeand auxiliary-reservoir ressures respectively, means actuated by as litmovement of said abutment to o en sai valve and means actuated by a furter movement ofthe abutment in the same direction for closing said valve.

5. Av recharging-valve device for air- Vbrakes, comprising a valve forcontrolling .communication from the train-pipe to the iary-reservoirpressure, of'means for opening' said passage upon a slight movement ofthe abutment and means for closing said passage upon a further movementof the abutment the same direction. i

7. In a recharging-valve, the combination IOO ofacasinhavingam'ovablelabutment therei in provi ed with an opening orpassageand oppositely 'arranged valve s`eats, valve#- i stems mountedin thechambers on op osite` 'sides of said abutment adapted to e en`- ga ed bysaid valve-seats respectively. testimony lwhereof I have hereunto set

